Temperature indicating attachment for refrigerator cars



May 16, 1933. J. 1 TowNsHEND 1,909,383

TEMPERATURE INDICATING ATTACHMENT FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS y Filed Dec. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l NUE 0.@ am

May 16, 1933.

J. 1 TowNsHEND 1,909,383 TEMPERATURE INDICATING ATTACHMENT FOR REFRIGERATOR yCARS I Filed Deo".

2, 1930 Sheets-'Sheet 2 vdi Aff

mvENIoR v.1mm.x.n'o'v\nasm=.m; Ewa/59mm@ ATTORNEY Patented- May 16, 1933 PATENT OFFICE JOHN L. TOXVNSHEND, 0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA TEMPERATURE INDICATING ATTACHMENT FOB REFRIGEBATOR CARS Application led December 2, 1930. Serial No. 499,542.

This invention relates to temperature indicating'attachmentsfor refrigerator c ars and comprises a thermometer installation including a plurality ofbulbsd located `1n dii'erent portions of the car and a plurality of indicating dials visible from the outside of the car, each dial being controlled by one of said bulbs. Y

In order to accurately judge the temperature conditions existent within a refrigerator car it is important to know the tempera-v ture in the vicinity of the Hoor at approximately the centre of the car and the temperature in the vicinity of the roof or meat rails with which such cars are commonly equipped. With the aid of the present invention, these temperatures may be conveniently ascertained since the bulb controlling one dial indicator is located in the vicinlty of the roof or meat rails, while the con- 'trolling bulb of the remaining dial indicator is located between the ioor rack and the iioor proper.

A further advantage of the present installation is that it enables the temperatures in the upper and lower portions of the car to be readily noted Without the admission of warm air to the interior of the car as it is not necessary to open the car doors or traps in order to view the dia'l indicators since these indicators are mounted in a suitable casing accessible from the outside of the car.

Other advantages and characteristic features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed de scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through a refrigerator car equipped with a thermometer installation construction in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through a refrigerator car showing the appearance of the installation as viewed in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view -of the therof the floor structure and onev sideof the car are indicated by broken lines.

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing the manner in which the bulb controlling one of .the dial indicators is' mounted between the floor rack and the floor proper.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation showing the mounting'of the dial indicators, a portion of one of said indicators being broken away to disclose the interior construction.` I

Figure Gris an edge view of the construction shown in Figure 5.

As shown in these drawings, the dial indicators appearing at 11 and 12 are of well known construction including pointers 13 and 14 attached to the inner ends of the hollow Bourdon strings 15 and 16. The indicator controlling bulbs, shown at 17 and 18, are located in the upper and lower portions of the refrigerator car 19. The car is equipped with the usual floor rack 20, meat rails 21 and meat rail supports 22.' Bulb 17 'controls the dial indicator 11 and is con nected to the outer end of the spring 15 by the capillary tubing appearing at 23. In order to prevent the meat hooks (not shown) coming in contact with and damaging the bulb 17, the latter is preferably secured in a suitable recess provided in the lower surface of the central meat rail 21. The capillary tubing 23 is carried from the indicator 11 to the upper portion of the car vthrough the air space 24 formed in the side wall 25 and is then directed across the roof of the car to the bulb 17 which is centrally located with reference to the side and end walls of the car. The control bulb 18 is positioned between the fioor rack 20 and the ioor proper and is connected by the capillary tubmg 26 to the outer end of the Bourdon spring 16 controlling the pointer of the indicator 12. The bulb 18 and a. portion of the tubing 26 are received in channels 27 formed in certain of the floor rack supports The openv sides of the channel are closed by a metal plate 29 which is provided with perforations located directly opposite the bulb 18 to permit the air in the lower p portion of the car to come in contact with said bulb. The capillary tubing 26 is arranged to provide a portion 26a extending longitudinally of the car and a second portion 266 extending transversely of the car and within the channels of the rack supports 28. The portions 2611/ and 26?) are connected by a coil 30 which permits the bulb 18 and the transversely extending portion 266 to be raised and lowered with the floor rack 20 which is usually hinged to permit vertical displacement. As indicated to advantage in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, the bulb 18 is located substantially midway between the side walls of the car and close to one side of the doorway 31.

The indicators 11and 12 are contained in a casing 32 whichlis mounted in a recess 33 formed in the side wall 25. The casing is secured in said recess by means of suitable fastening members 34 passing through the attached flanges 85 and is also provided with a hinged cover 36. The' upper edge of this cover is hinged as indicated at 37 to the upper flange 35 and the lower edge of the cover is provided with a lug 38 having an aperture adapted to register with a corresponding aperture formed in a lug 39 secured to the lower casing flange 35. When the apertures of these two lugs are in alignment, a locking pin 40 is passed therethrough and serves to hold the cover in a closed position protecting the dial indicators 11 and 12.

The bulbs 17 and 18 and the capillary tubing 23 and 26 are filled with a suitable heat responsive liquid (not shown). Vhen the bulbs are subjected to heat or cold the -liquid therein expands or contracts and acts,

. car equipped through the capillary tubing and the Bourdon springs, to move the pointers of the indicator across the dials associated therewith.

Having thus described my invention, I claim is:

1. The combination with a refrigerator with a hinged floor rack of temperature indicating means comprising an indicator carried by one of the enclosing walls of the car and accessible for inspection from a point outside the car, a control bulb positioned between the floor rack and the floor proper and secured to said floor rack and capillary tubing operatively connecting said indicator and bulb, said tubing being coiled at a point between the indicator and the bulb to permit the bulb to be displaced with the floor without damaging the tubing. 2. The combination with a refrigerator car equipped with a floor rack hinged to one side of the car and a temperature indicator carried by one of the side walls of the car, a control bulb for the indicator secured to the underside of the floor rack and adapted to move therewith when the rack is swung about its point of hinge connection,

what

capillary tubing operatively connecting said indicator and bulb, said tubing presenting a portion extending from the indicator in the longitudinal direction of the car and a second portion extending transversely of the car beneath the floor rack and connected to said bulb, said longitudinally and transversely extending portions of the tubing being integrally connected by an intermediate coiled portion permitting vertical movement of the transversely extending portion with reference to the longitudinally extending portion.

The combination with a refrigerator car equipped with a ioor rack of temperature indicating means including an indicator element secured to one of the enclosing walls of the car, a supporting block attached to the bottom of the rack and having a channel formed in one side thereof, acontrol bulb arranged in said channel, capillary tubing operatively connecting the bulb to the indicator and having a portion thereof also. received in said channel, and a metal vplate coveridng1 thehopen side of the channel and provi e wit o enin sin the ortiono osite said bulb. p g p pp In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHNl L, TOWNSI-IEND. 

